Restaurant bio: Rancho Alegre is owned by Juan Manuel Rodriguez, a Venezuelan native who moved from the mountains of South America to Savannah eight years ago, and his daughter, Melody. The father-daughter team created the extensive menu complete with 28 entrees, all representative of Cuban culture and its Spanish, Caribbean and Creole influences. To top it off, Rodriguez also books live jazz music on weekends and provides his guests with a lengthy list of handpicked South American wines. “We have 20 different kinds of Malbecs alone,” he says. “You could say I’m a bit of an aficionado.”

Chef bio: At the age of 16, Abraham Rios moved from Mexico to Savannah and has been with Rancho Alegre since day one. He says his favorite dish to make and eat is the Pineapple Stuffed with Seafood, but Rodriguez claims Rios excels at making their house specialty — paella. But regardless of the dish, Rios says the most fun and most important ingredient in Cuban cooking is the combination of spices.

Favorite dish: Ropa Vieja, or “old clothes.” The name describes the shreds of meat, peppers and onions resembling a heap of colorful clothes.

ROPA VIEJA

For braising:

3 pounds flank steak, trimmed

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

3 garlic cloves, crushed lightly

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Other ingredients:

2 green bell peppers, cut into quarter-inch strips

1 red onion, cut into quarter-inch strips

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups braising liquid, plus additional if desired

One 14- to 16-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips

½ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, drained and halved

1. In a five-quart kettle, combine all braising ingredients with two quarts of water and simmer, uncovered, for one-and-a-half hours, or until beef is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool the meat in the liquid for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer the meat to a platter and cover. Strain the braising liquid through a colander and into a bowl. Return the braising liquid to the kettle and boil until reduced to three cups, about 30 minutes. Cool braising liquid completely and chill it and the beef separately, covered.

3. In the kettle, cook the green bell peppers and onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. While vegetables are cooking, pull meat into shreds about three inches long.

5.While stew is simmering, in a large skillet cook red and yellow bell peppers in the remaining two tablespoons of oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.

6.Stir peppers into stew and add additional braising liquid if desired. Simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. Stir in olives and simmer, uncovered, for five more minutes. Serve Ropa Vieja with white rice and black beans.